Category: Software

We have seen a lot of changed to the Windows Mobile UI since Windows Mobile 6.5.1, but the small stylus-centric keyboard has always remained. 

It seems no longer, with the latest build of Windows Mobile, WM 6.5.3, revealing a new keyboard skin directly from Microsoft.  So far it is not known if the keyboard will come with additional intelligence, such as keypress prediction which improves accurate typing, even the new, larger, finger-friendly keys is a massive improvement.

Read more at XDA-Dev here.

Via Pocketnow.com.

Feel free to ignore anything after the 22 minute mark in this Engadget show video, during which HTC’s Director of User Experience is interviewed regarding the evolution of HTC’s user experience on their handhelds.

While the most striking feature of this video is Engadget’s bias against Windows Mobile, it is still interesting to see the ongoing design process in action, and see a glimpse of what’s to come in future iterations of HTC Sense.

Via PDA.pl

On older devices with a stylus sensor, tools such as G-Config could be used to add applications to the white list. However, the capacitive giant that is the HD2 lacks such a sensor and is therefore limited to manual registry changes.

Makeveral (the creator of G-Config) has stated he’ll be updating it to support non-stylus-sensing devices, though it’s unclear when.

Ye, i’ll update this app soon.. but can’t say when cos i’m a bit busy xD (hopefully this month..)

In the meantime, you can add custom applications to the list manually…

You’ll need a tool such as Dot Freds Task Manager (available here).

Within DotFred Task Manager, you’ll need to go to the “Windows” tab (Menu->Tab Options->Select Tab->Windows).

Now you get to find the correct window.

For File Explorer, the title text is “File Explorer” so it was simply a matter of scrolling through till I found it, though you can use the “Find Window” button to make it simpler. After the window text, there is a line of text not in quotation marks. This is the Window Class, and that’s what you need to know. You can collect as many or as few as you want of these to enable rotation in, but it makes sense to do them all in one go…

Now, you need to go to the “RegEdit” tab (or use your favourite registry editor) to navigate to

HKCU\Software\HTC\GSensor\WhiteList

Next, create a new value (has to be REG_SZ) and call it whatever you like (always good to be something descriptive, but “cuckoo” will suffice) and then change its value to whatever the window class you found earlier was. Do this for as many programs as you want, and when your done you will have to power cycle the device to get the settings loaded.

Hopefully this has been helpful, and if there’s anything else you want to know how to do, let me know and I’ll see what I can do… Also, would this be more useful as a video?

If you don’t have an HD2 already, I would strongly recommend it, and with operators like T-Mobile now offering it along side retailers like Clove, there’s even more opportunity to get one!

Those of you up on the Windows Mobile builds (ROM Chefs and just up-to-date WM users alike) will be very happy to know that the latest build (28004) is out and about now. Dubbed 6.5.3, there have been no insane jaw-dropping changes since 6.5.1, with this build also touting the large start menu button on the bottom of the screen. However, there have been a few speed enhancements and visual tweaks, we’re told from WMExperts.

Request it. ;]

-ClearD

Sony Online Entertainment LLC (SOE) today announced its Chronicle Master system in the hit title Star Wars Galaxies has resulted in over three million user-created quests to date. The Star Wars Galaxies Chronicle Master system gives players the ability to create stories in-game and allow other players to follow and complete these quests. The player-driven content creation empowered the community by allowing players to create their own plot using iconic characters in the legendary setting of the Star Wars universe. User-created quests is a feature that is mostly unique to Star Wars Galaxies, and is not currently offered in its biggest competitor World of Warcraft.

In just over a month since launching, players have told their own stories through the Chronicle Master quest creation interface including one individual who has created over 6,000 playable quests. Players who complete these quests are rewarded with in-game tokens that can be used to purchase unique loot items specially created for the Chronicle Master system.

Steam users interested in trying the Chronicle Master system firsthand can now download Star Wars Galaxies: The Complete Online Adventures Premium Plus Pack directly from Steam and from Direct2Drive. This compilation includes An Empire Divided™, Jump to Lightspeed™ expansion, Episode III: Rage of the Wookiees™Trials of Obi-Wan™ expansion. Players who download the game through Steam and Direct2Drive will also receive three exclusive in-game vehicles based on the Star Wars film series.

Resco, a supplier of advanced developer components and tools for mobile devices, releases today Resco MobileForms Toolkit 2010, which is optimized for Microsoft Visual Studio 2008 and the Microsoft .NET Compact Framework 3.5.

“Since 2003, when the first version of Resco MobileForms Toolkit was released, we have been  working hard to enrich each new release by adding new components to support modern and ground-breaking mobile technology,” said Radomir Vozar, Resco Developer Tools & Enterprise Division Director. “The current year is no exception; the 2010 edition not only allows developers to develop attractive and fully competitive mobile applications, but it reasonably simplifies the development process and saves time.”

New Component Themes

New Resco component themes are various graphic drafts of mobile forms that were elaborated based on Resco’s knowledge of mobile software. The themes list along with screenshots of every control is accessible directly from Visual Studio designer. After the appropriate theme is selected, it can be easily applied into the component. This function significantly facilitates the development process. It provides developers with graphical drafts that cannot be created in standard Visual Studio environments.  Furthermore, the majority of the themes contain professionally designed icons which enhance the development experience. 

Three New Components

Resco ScrollBar is a component that copes with mobile device’s screen limitations by allowing developers to browse the screen content easily and comfortably. Resco ProgressBar is a customizable progress bar with advanced graphics. Another new component, called Resco MaskedTextBox, allows developers the opportunity to fine-tune their applications by simplifying the data input fields. .

New and Updated Standalone Designers

Standalone designers are an additional functionality upgrade in the Resco MobileForms Toolkit components; they can  be used by Visual Studio designers and launched separately as well. The designers allow components to be designed in the specific environment that is designated for the specific component. Along with updated components AdvancedList and DetailView, the Resco MobileForms Toolkit 2010 brings brand new designers to AdvancedComboBox, AdvancedTree, and CustomKeyboard.

“The new features of Resco MobileForms Toolkit 2010 provide developers with advanced tools so they can work even more effectively and quickly deliver attractive applications to customers through Windows Marketplace for Mobile,” said Jason Lim, director of ISV and developer experience at Microsoft Corp.

About Resco MobileForms Toolkit

Resco MobileForms Toolkit is one of the richest and most comprehensive sets of Microsoft Visual Studio controls and libraries designed for developers of software solutions for mobile devices. In its portfolio there are controls and libraries that tackle most problems developers encounter in the mobile environment. Flexible keyboard, professional list control, powerful grid control, charting control, and scheduling control — to mention only the most frequently used ones.

For more information about Resco MobileForms Toolkit, visit www.resco.net/developer/mobileformstoolkit.

Via WindowsPhonethoughts.com

Hidden in the spec sheet of the Verizon Samsung Omnia 2 was a small mention that the Omnia 2 will be coming with Swype text entry. 

Swype is a graffiti-like way of entering whole words at a time by drawing lines connecting the letters of the word on a QWERTY keyboard.  Because it enters whole words at a time it can be pretty fast, and in this video they compare text entry on the Samsung Omnia 2 versus the iPhone 3GS, and it of course beats the later device handedly.

Just one more thing for Verizon Samsung Omnia 2 owners to look forward to.

Thanks Gman for the tip.

Read more at Techcrunch here.

SPB Software announces the release of SPB Time 3.0, a major update to the best-selling Windows Mobile time toolset. The updated version offers a completely new, reconsidered user interface and significantly improved alarm features. SPB Time 3.0 provides user with three different types of alarms to fit any needs. Paranoid alarm is designed to wake up deep sleepers while Bio alarm does its job in a very gentle way. Classic alarm is a good solution for those who don’t believe in biorhythms and do not want to be disturbed too much in the morning time.

A lot of features were reworked in the design aspect. For example, "World Time" feature is presented as a realistic looking 3D model of the Earth with chosen cities designated as spots on the surface. Countdown screen is supplemented with a picture of sandglass where the sand pours out as time goes. The splendour of these interface solutions are accompanied by a vast choice of skins in an online catalog.

SPB Time 3.0 is also one of the company’s Windows Mobile applications that is able to make use of SPB Mobile Shell’s widget system. Four widgets are available for those who already have Time version 3 and higher: City Time, Moon Phase, Next Alarm and Stop Watch.

SPB Time 3.0 New Features:

• Snappier, better looking user interface;
• Classic, Paranoid and Bio alarms;
• More than 20 alarm tunes;
• Online skins catalog;
• SPB Mobile Shell widgets;
• Scrollable Calendar with weeks numbers;
• Moon phases.

Pricing and Availability

SPB Time 3.0 is compatible with Windows Mobile 5 and higher. It may be purchased for 14.95 USD, or a 15-day free trial version may be downloaded at www.SPBSoftware.com. Users of any previous versions of SPB Time are welcome to upgrade to SPB Time 3.0 with 50% discount. According to SPB Software’s upgrades policy, all SPB Time users who have purchased the product within the last 90 days, are eligible for free upgrade.

Read more at SPB here.

The HTC HD2 has a camera problem.  This is not arguable at this moment.  The question is whether we should all be returning our devices until it is fixed, or wait for a software fix.

Initial responses from HTC claimed it was a hardware issue, but now we are getting HTC support claiming a hotfix is on the way for the issue.

Dear HTC Customers,
We have identified a software issue affecting HTC HD2 cameras.
We take this matter very seriously and already have a patch in a form of a hotfix in development.
This will be released as soon as possible.
Updates for this product will be released via our support pages, and in the case of Network Devices you will normally still be able to apply hotfixes to the device.
The HD2 support page can be found here:
http://www.htc.com/europe/faq_detail…&act=faq&cat=0

Best Regards
HTC Customer Care

Posting Source

While the 2 responses are not mutually exclusive (some hardware issues can be fixed or ameliorated by software) the situation remains very confusing for current owners and the legions of future buyers for this top of the range Windows Mobile smartphone.

Read more in this XDA-Developers thread.

Edit: We have just received an official response from HTC:

HTC has received reports that under some lighting conditions, images taken with the HD2 camera are pinkish in colour or have a pink area. Although this appears to be limited to a small number of phones, we are currently investigating these reports and will work on developing a solution for those affected. Thank you for your patience.

Not very illuminating, but hopefully it is the case that only a small minority of phones are affected.

Do you have an unaffected HTC HD2?  Let us know in the comments below.

Via Pocketnow.com

Written by Carter McNamara, MBA, PhD, Authenticity Consulting, LLC. Copyright 1997-2008.

There are two kinds of security: data and break-in. Data security is addressed by having a good backup system (see next section on computer security). Break-in security is often a matter of using passwords to files or systems where possible, locking systems in offices and managing modem dial-in. Have the modem on only when sending or receiving.

1. To avoid losing information stored on your computers when, e.g., a disk breaks (or “crashes”), ensure that computer files are regularly backed up to another media, e.g., backed up onto magnetic tapes, “zip” disk, CD-ROM, etc. Store the media offsite, that is, in a facility other than at your organization. If a disk crashes, you can repair the disk or get a new one and then restore the information from the backup media onto the new disk.Or, if backup media cannot be afforded (most are only a few hundred dollars), ensure files are stored on at least two different media devices, e.g., stored on an internal hard disk and then also on a diskette. Using a diskette as backup simply requires the computer user to occasionally save away his or her file to the diskette in addition to the hard disk. The same diskette can be used to backup files. Label the diskette with the time period during which files were backed up to it. Note that the major software applications themselves (Word, Excel, etc.) do not have to be backed up because the organization usually has the software application’s master diskettes. The most important items to backup are usually database files, spreadsheet files and large documents written by users. Conducting regular backups is more a matter of managerial policy than technical limitations.

2. Use electrical surge protectors to ensure your computers will not experience sudden surges of electricity, e.g., during storms, if the quality of your electricity in your building is poor, or is the computer is turned off and on.

3. Protect unauthorized access to computer files by using passwords to log-on to your system, if possible. Critical files can be copied onto two different diskettes (with one as a backup for the other) and both stored in locked drawers. Be sure to label the diskettes such that you’ll recognize them later by the name on the diskette label.

4. Ensure that computers remain working as much as possible (that is, maximum their uptime) by recording and testing detailed procedures for all routine, but critical, tasks performed by staff on the computers and associated peripherals, e.g., for computer backups and restores, fixing recurring problems, etc. Locate and label the procedures in a central location of which all staff are aware.

5. Develop competent internal technical support personnel who can help others to conduct basic activities on the computers and who can call outside consultants for troubleshooting when needed. Have one or two internal people who are designated as technical support contacts for other staff members.

6. Instruct staff to report all problems to the internal technical support people. That way, the internal people are aware of all problems and are more likely to detect oncoming problems as early as possible. They also become better trained at detecting and diagnosing problems.

7. Record all important phone numbers for technical support consultants or contacts, and ensure staff can find these numbers when needed.

8. Keep all software documentation, such as manuals and guides, stored in a central location where staff can find them. Post a sheet on the wall so they can check documents out and for control to ensure they are returned.

9. Promptly register all new software with the vendor to ensure you receive notification of regular software version updates and your eligibility to call the vendors for technical support if needed.

10. Keep the serial numbers of all software packages in a clearly visible place for ease of reference when calling the software vendor’s technical support. (The vendor usually will ask you for the serial number to verify that you indeed purchased the software.)

11. Note that if you dissemble your computer hardware, you risk losing coverage of your warranty. During your warranty period (which often covers labor during the first 90 days and hardware during the first one or two years), always call the vendor as soon as you suspect any problems. Problems usually occur during the first several weeks if they occur at all.

12. Be sure to install a virus detector on your system. The detector should automatically check any new data brought into your system, for example, from diskettes, downloaded from the Internet, etc.

13. Develop a disaster recovery plan. The plan should address contingencies. It should include procedures to respond to, e.g., if a disk crashes, if the computer quits working, if the network is down, if the building is somehow destroyed, etc.

source : http://managementhelp.org

http://www.google.com/ig/adde?moduleurl=http://feeds.feedburner.com/time/topstories&source=imag&val=3

There have been some talk of Microsoft phasing out DirectX for OpenGL on Windows Mobile handsets, but a recent job posts by the Windows Mobile team seem to suggest this will not be the case after all.

The post makes numerous references to DirectX in both its 2D and 3D version.

SENIOR Software Development Engineer (SDE) (705110 -External) Job

Date: Nov 18, 2009

Job Category: Software Engineering: Development
Location: United States, WA, Redmond
Product: Windows Mobile Devices
Division: Entertainment & Devices Division

Lead a team to deliver the graphics platform for Windows Mobile and grow it over future releases. Knowledge of DirectDraw, D2D, and D3D a must. Familiarity with display drivers and GPUs a plus. Must be able to debug complicated low level problems and analyze performance.
RID:862920

DirectX on Windows Mobile is a double edged sword.  While a good implementation on Windows Mobile would ease the porting of games from the desktop, the rest of the mobile world uses OpenGL, meaning porting for example iPhone or Android games would be more difficult.

Microsoft has however been doing some good work recently with using DirectX hardware acceleration for HTML rendering in IE9, so it may very well be that we are yet to see the full potential of the technology on our devices.

See the job posting here.

US Cellular has just released their version of the HTC Touch Pro 2, and appears to have some significant differences compared to the versions released on the other carriers.

Vid Review and Tutorials have published this short video showing the important differences above.

Of course we do not have the device ourselves to verify it does in fact ship without Opera Mobile, but if true this would be a significant omission, as even the new version of Pocket IE is still significantly slower than Opera Mobile on older generation hardware.

Do you have a US Cellular HTC Touch Pro 2? Does it in fact ship without Opera Mobile?  Let us know in the comments below.

GSoundBox is an application for HTC Windows Mobile phones with G-Sensor. It plays a wide variety of sounds that can be triggered by shaking the phone using a variety of gestures.

The software features an extremely finger-friendly user interface and supports VGA and WVGA screens.

Read more about the app at XDA-Developers or Loffactory here, and download it using our Microsoft tag (gettag.mobi).